Lingering Issues
When I started writing this, I was sitting at the computer desk, thinking that this game could have been so much better. The Manning-less Colts faced the Steelers in a match between two of this decade’s football giants (no, not those “Football Giants”) who, on Sunday night, were only shadows of their former selves.
In what usually would be a foretaste of the AFC championship game, we peered through the looking glass to see what the Colts are without Peyton Manning. And for my part, I didn’t particularly enjoy what I saw.
This game was ugly. The Indy offense, which usually moves the ball with surgical precision looked sloppy and ineffective. The Pittsburgh offense was similarly poor except for a beautiful pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace.
And I can’t help but feel that this game was the manifestation of some lingering issues for both franchises.
If I’m the Colts, up until now, I haven’t had to worry too much about the prospect of losing Peyton Manning to an injury. And that’s fair enough, considering he has started 227 consecutive games in his career. But I must be thinking somewhere in the back of my mind that my franchise QB is always just one hit away from injury. I’ve got to try to get my QB of the future in place. Why not get him while Manning is still around, so my young apprentice can learn from one of the best to play the position?
Hold your horses, finding that QB of the future is easier said than done.
Absolutely true. The Colts have said the success of the organization has caused them to draft late. But this team is built entirely around the strong play of it’s quarterback.
Okay, what do you suggest?
The way I see it, Indy has two logical options moving forward:
A) spend a premium draft pick on a quarterback.
or…
B) spend one or more low draft picks on a quarterback.
The first option A.K.A Operation Replace Franchise QB ( McNabb-Kolb, Favre-Rodgers, Montana-Young) gives Indy an elite prospect with a valuable apprenticeship behind Peyton. The downside of this route is the potential cost. Indy may (or may not) have to trade up significantly in order to land their man.
The second option (A.K.A The Patriot Way) is the quarterback replacement plan adopted by Bill Belichick. In essence, it’s bargain hunting. Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett slipped significantly in the draft, and New England scooped them up. The potential downside for this plan is the time it takes and it’s relatively low success rate (unless you’re a genius/Jedi Master like Bill Belichick).
Both options can lead to success, but most franchises not named the Patriots choose option A.
If Bill Polian decides to go that route, there are several signal callers he will need to pay special attention to this fall:
1. Andrew Luck, Stanford
2. Matt Barkley, USC
3. Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M
Of these three quarterbacks, my initial thought is that Andrew Luck is the best fit in Indy. In fact, he is probably the best fit anywhere.
But I digress….
I’m curious to see how the Colts start thinking about this transition from the Peyton Manning era. Will they stay the course and try to find a Manning clone to pick up where Peyton left off or will they move in an entirely new direction?
